Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



H. B. LADD. IAIL M0 OA'I'OIIIO All) DBLIYBIJIG AHAIATUI. menu! m." Inns. 1m.

981 .436. Muted Aug. 17. 1009. IIIITHIIII' I. 32'?- eethe UNITED sTAti ngrn inn'r OFFICE.

To ell wheat it may concern:

Be it known that Lillian R. Lane, a citiai-ii of the, United States, residing at Washington, in the Dint riot of Columbia, have incertain new and useful Improvements in Mail Bag Catching and Delivering A peratuiyof which the following is a apeci cation. Y

My invention relates to new and useful improve-elite in mail bog catching and dchvery toe, of that type particularly 'deeignmiee on moving traine whereby the raine deliver and receive mail bags at dntiona without'titoppinig.

Thapriniary oh'ect n the invention in to prev e mean 0 the character set forth which will be particularly simple in conetroction, and eilicient and durable in operation and one.

A further object in to firovide a catching and delivery ii iparntns w ich will reduce to a minimum t e likelihood of the bags becoming torn while being caught and do- It The iaventtea coniu'iite in the improved eonat-i'uction and arran meat-of iiino eratlve combination t be inore l i illy d deerihed hereinafter and the novelty of which will be tlnetly in I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken as a wherein- Flgure 1 in a view in aide-elevation of a part of a car, and a crane equipped with my improved catching and delivery apparatus.

"1 ie a top plan view of the parta aliown g. 1. Fig. 8, in an onla detail view, partly in auction oi the catching devices doaigtied to heemployed in connection with a car. Fig. 4 ie a longitudinal central section through a catcher an employed in connection with a crane, an at stations. Bi. 5 in a tianaverae auction throu h a eatcier for a car, log the name rowii through t car dooraa when not in nee. Fig. 0, iii a detail aeetional view of the delivery arm with 'whleh the crane ll rovided.

Behrringito drawin numerals of relereneez-1 'deaignatea e eide'wall of a car body, theaaine being?! of the well we eonetructione. ia wall 1, in wi n'n opening 2, which may be ueual door opening .or an opening dielpedfteattoa of Letteaa Patent. Anltealea lien let I. "I. lertat Ie. ,Il.

il'tlctlll llly pointed out and dispart of this specification, and

- lllOVlll tinct therefrom. Supported on the lower edge of aaid opening in a mail bag catching device which receive-n and deflects into the car, the mail bag or be which may be nuepcnded from the noun crane, or preferably from a crane of novel construction -Wlll('ll I will describe hereinafter.

l will now proceed to deecribo the con- .-.-t motion of the mail beg catching device.

3 deaigiiatea a bottom member conaiiiting of a flat plate which ia preferably of neticninlet] or wire mesh material of autllcient rigidit and titre h to adapt it to the purpoecs or which it is cm loyed. Thia bottom member, or ahown in l i 2, ie in the form of a right angled triang a, the long aide of which in hingedly connected as at 4, to the lower edge of the door opening 2, no that mid bottom member may be thrown down to immune a horizontal poaition, aa ahown in Fig. 2, or be turned u into a vertical as shown in Fig. 0. his bottom inein r in arranged with itii ahort aide turned toward lllt forward end of the car, and riai g from the outer edge of said member, or its inclined ed 1 iii a \(tl'lltft'tl butler wall 5, which ma be u wood metal or on suitable matei'iii', aaid wall bein .of a ength aubetantially coextensive wit the outer edge of the bottom member. Upon reference to the drawinga it will be acen that the aaid bottom member and vertical well form a bet which ia open at the short aide of aaid bottom member, aaid pocket projecting out lyond the aide wall of the carliod in iion to receive a mail bag a n ed from a crane. It will be evident that if the earls forward, that the mail bag will beno I ntruclt y nnid liuflei' wall and living releeaed from the oranowill be deflected by mid wall into the ('lll tlii'oi ii the opening 2.

Meuini in irovit l ed in connection with the bottom inein r and butter wall for venting the mail bag from accidentally roppi from the front of tho pocket and in being tlotlectetl in i the car aa intended. This means coiiiprilieen gate member or closure coin riaing members 6, 7, of reticulated material secured to eaehother along adjacent edges iind arra'iiged in planea aubstantially at right angles to each other, laid gate member l aecnred, an at 8 totlieahortaideolthebottommemberfi the line of connection between aaid ill;

' wit lar to that. above dewribed, and cotnprienng l in connection with the hinge of the gate] lnember to normally maintain the name with g the member 7 in a toriaontal plane, and the member ti in a vertical ilauc, aid-member ti 3 normally cloning the orward end of thej pncltet when the alter is extcndedinto operf ative position for eatchmgthe mail bags.

It will be aeen, that, in operation, the mail bag will first strike the vertically extending 5 munber 0, and the latter will be thrown rearward aa indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 3, and the horizontal member a will then 1 follow behind the ha and insure the same hittin the butter wal 5 and being delleeted into t a car. After the operation 'ust dcscribed the spring 0 will return tie gate member to ita normal catching position as indicated in Fig. 3.

The catching device when not in actual use tor catching the baga may be swung upwardly and inwardly by virtue of it lunged connection 4, no that the member 5 l ia turned within the car through the door v ogening 2, so as to no lon'ger project beyond t e car body.

-An means may be provided for tlltpptlt'ling t e catchin device in horizontal eatehi log position, a aterally projecting stop 10, secured to the butler wall and adapted to engage the ud'acent edge of the opening when the calming device is thrown outwardly being antlicient for the purpose stated.

The catching device as above dust-ritual, is particularly ada itcd for use in connection with mail cam mt with ali 'ht alterations I ma be succeeninlly employ in connection cranes for receiving bags from a car. In Figa. l and 2 of the drawings 1 have illustrated an embodiment of the invention as employut with cranes, the crane being indicated at ll, and being of any well known or preferred construction. Qupported at. the upper. portion of this crane is a rectangular rtxzeptaele comprising a bottom 12, side walls l3, l3, and an end wall It the t'immsite end of the receptacle being lclt open. l'ivoted to the edge of the bottom [2, at the open end of the receptacle is a gate member uintimembers [5, Hi Nl't at right angles to our other and pivo ed to said receptacle along their meeting edges. spring 17, may also be provided for normally swinging the gate member on its pivot no tlntt the member 15 will ntand verticall at the end of the row taelo and the ntcmlzcr lti, b'n horizt'mtal. it will be seen that a mail bug suspended from a car will upon ntrikin the memla-r l5, dro

into the receptacle out the member ltl wi t be thrown up to c oso thread of the receptacle, and retain the bug therein. The member lti will be held in tho poaition ntutcd an Inn asthc bug rests upon the nwmbcr- 1.? which it will be nnderxtotal has been thrown aenaae down upon the bottom of the receptacle. Aa noon an the bag is removed from the receptacle the apri will return the gate member to ml norma poaition.

'lhe crane may be rovided with a later ally projecting arm 8 having a linger 19,

an actuating nu-mbcr .3, which pane-w through a slot 24 in the cur wall, into the interior of the ear where it can be convaliently grasped to rating the arm on its pivot. When it is desired to place a bag on the linger 2:3, the artn is swung on its pivot until the end bearing said linger takes a poaition o'ppositc an opening 2.1, in the car wall t trough which the bag may be thrust, and the arm is then uwung back to hold the bag in amnion to strike. the catcher on the crane.

in order to prevent the bag from-being dropped from the linger .22 while the arm is being moved to its outer position I provide a latch 26 slidin in can 21, 27 on the arm 20 and crowing t It! linger 22, as shown so as to )revent the loop on the bag from slidin t terefrom. It will he understood that t tin latch will be withdrawn when the arm is in outer position and before a crane is reached, a rod 28 extending to a. paint. within the car through an opening 29' 'ng employed for this purpoae, aaid rod as a convenient meana for moving the back and forth.

As far or practicable, the part! of the catching device whether need on a car or on a crane, are formed of wire'meah or l'oruminated material so tlntt anow or duet or dint will notre-st theteon but will flow lht-refrmn. it will be noted that the bottom of tho catching device on the car, the part! of the gate member ahittcd therewith, and

substantially the entire rece taele when need upon a crane is formed 0 thia open and nmterial.

What I claim in: l. in a device of the charactcr'ddcribed,

the combination with a carbody baring an opening, of a catchin device eompriamg a horizontally din )(Dttl ottom member a vertical butler \val rising from lid bottom member. and inclined outwardly from a point adjacent the cur wall, whereby a ba atriking mid wall will be deflected thro the opening into the ear, and a gate member arranged ltt'lWtt'lt the outer end ot'nid butler wall and the car wall.

.the opening into the car, am

,the combination with a car body having on can. g

2. In a device of the character described, the omnhination with a car body having an opening, of a catchi device comprising a meana to nonnally maintain naid ate member in a vertical petition.

5. In a device of the character deacribed,

horizontally die tom member a verthe combination with a car body having an tical bufler wal riai lg from said ttom opening, of a catchi device comprin a member and inclined outwardly from a liprlxontally diapnnd tontm'ember e' vupoint adjacent the car wall, whereby-a ha tn-al bnflcr wa l riaing from laid bottom atrilting aaid wall will be deflected throngt member and inclined outwardly from a l a apring' actupoint adjacentthe car well, wharebfile eted gate member arranged between the atriking said wall will be deflected ron outer end of said batl'er wall and the car i the opening in the car, a gate member conwall. l aisting' of spaced members diepoaed at right 8. In a device of the t'lnu'neler described, angles to each other, and pivoted at their the combination with a car body having an meeting ed iea on a horizontal ivot at the opening, of a cntchin device eomprnnng a forward cm of the bottom mem r. horizontally diapmaal ittom member a ver- 0. In a device of the character described, tical butler \va 1 riaing from aaid bottom the combination with'a car body having an member, and inclined tuna a point adjacent opening; of a catching device comprising a the one wall. whereby a bag striking: the said horimntaliy dill wooed bottom member. a verwall will be dellt'ttted through an opening llt'lll bntl't-r wal rising from said bottom into the t7tll'.'lllltl n vertienllv extendingipito member and inclined outwardly from a member lot'ttlt'tl between the outer on of point ndjam'nt the car wall, whereby n be said bnli'er wall and the car body, said memstriking said a all will be deflected throngi her being horiaontallv pivoted adjacent the tla-.o n-nin; in the car, a gate member conforward end of said bottom member.

Misting of npnt'e disposed at ri ht angles' to 4. In a device of the character described, i oat-h other, and pivoted at tieir med' him on a horizontal pivot at. the forw Hit of the bottom member and mean: to maintain the said gate member with one of it.- plan-a vertical and the other in horizontal lttmllltlll projet'lin forwnrdl therefrom.

nanny a. mum.

opening. of n catching device oompriaing a horizontally din )ttHt'tl bottom anemia-r a verllt'ltl bnller wnl rining from said bottom member, and ltwllltt'tl tron: a point adjacent. the var wall. whereby a bug ntrihing'tho aaid wall will be delleetul through an opening into the rat, and a verticall extending full! member located between to: outer em said bnll'er 'wall ahd the car body, said mcni- Witnwiea: her being horimntall pivoted adjacent the l. L. BYIUI, forward and of tilllt b'ittoni member, and linear E. Coom.

1 my signature 19 

